


It's just a spell book.

by tsukimomo



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi is the village apothecary and Bokuto is a regular patient, Apothecary AU, Fantasy AU, M/M, Oneshot, akaashi has a thing for muscles and bare skin, slightly suggestive ending so idk what the rating should be??, specifically bokuto's but i mean who doesn't, there's a massage scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2021-01-29 09:50:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21408214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsukimomo/pseuds/tsukimomo
Summary: For all of Bokuto's boasts as a great blacksmith, Akaashi finds it amusing how often Bokuto ends up in the apothecary he runs. He doesn't mind much, but Akaashi does start panicking when he has to get some knots out of Bokuto's back late one night.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji & Bokuto Koutarou, Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 7
Kudos: 124





	It's just a spell book.

Running the village apothecary was never an easy job. Even back when Akaashi had started out as an apprentice, he always found it surprising that such a small, seemingly non-descript village such as theirs would keep him busy almost 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. From smaller injuries such as minor infections (when all it needed was some ointment) to bigger problems like a missing limb (whose healing incantations were complex and took at least half a day to complete) — Akaashi had seen it all.

He kept at it because there was always something new everyday, and Akaashi enjoyed challenges. The Apothecary Compendium was comprehensive as it was sacred to his line of work, but on the days when a particularly difficult problem was presented to him that the Compendium couldn’t provide a spell or solution to, Akaashi had every reason to boast that he’s added quite a number of pages to the spell book himself — not that he was the type to boast in the first place.

No, Akaashi was far from the boasting type. This was a complete contrast to one of his more recent (and increasingly recurring) patients: the new blacksmith with streaked gray hair and gold eyes.  
The first time Bokuto Koutarou had walked into the apothecary, he came in for some minor burns on his arms. Akaashi always made it a point to make introductions short and quick, because there was always going to be another patient walking in.

"They're not too bad," Akaashi commented, inspecting Bokuto's arms, and for a moment Akaashi was unsure if he was referring to Bokuto's muscles or the severity of the burns. He turned in his chair and reached for the shelves, "I prepared some burn salve the day other day, so I'll need to add some incantations to increase its effectivity since it's still a fresh batch."

Bokuto raised his brow, "Isn't it hard running an apothecary all by yourself?"

Akaashi stopped in his tracks, a small tub of ointment in his hands, "Ah, yes, I suppose. But it's okay. I don't like people getting in my way. I focus better when I'm by myself."

"Sounds lonely," Bokuto commented, "But seeing as you're the only apothecary the village needs, I guess that's worked for you."

It took Akaashi another minute of muttering healing incantations before the burn marks on Bokuto's arms began to heal immediately, new skin regenerating and leaving his arms free of burns. "Being alone has worked for me quite well."

Bokuto broke out into a smile, thanking Akaashi, "I guess I'll be coming to you more often then! I am, after all, the village's best blacksmith. Injury is in my line of work!"

"You say that, but if you really were the best blacksmith then you should be coming here with more serious injuries than minor burns."

Bokuto frowned, "Hey! That's not fair! It's like you're hoping I get into more injuries!"

Akaashi allowed himself a chuckle as he stood up to open the door for him, "Well, that depends on how often you intend to come back here to see me."

He stopped at the doorway, mouth hung open, "Is that a --"

"Next patient," Akaashi called to the people outside, and ushered Bokuto out of the way of an older woman with several boils on her neck. He gave Bokuto a last smile before closing the door, "I'll see you around, Bokuto-san."

* * *

Over the following months, Bokuto Koutarou had been in and out of the apothecary -- with a different reason each time. On one occasion, he came in with a deep cut on his leg ("The best way to test all my swords is through sparring, you know? This cut means they're quali- Ack, that stings!"). On another, he brought in one of his neighbors, a child with mild food poisoning. And more than once, Bokuto came in with mild burns, so much so that Akaashi had prepared an entire tub of salve just for him ("Just... don't tell anyone else, Bokuto-san.").

Tonight, however, Bokuto sat quietly in the apothecary -- Akaashi had already closed up earlier that night, but at this point he couldn't find it in himself to tell Bokuto to come back the next morning.

Akaashi let out a yawn as he lit more candles with the snap of his fingers, eyeing Bokuto from the corner of his eye, "You're quiet today, Bokuto-san."

He didn't reply, he simply pouted and stared at the ground.

Akaashi raised a brow, and pulled up a chair in front of him, Compendium already in his hands, "It doesn't look like you have any burns or wounds--"

"It just aches." Bokuto said quietly, "It aches a lot."

"Ah," Akaashi said, and he set the Compendium aside. He had heard from a patient that Bokuto had been recently commissioned by several of the landed families in the area. He must have been overworking himself, "Where does it ache, Bokuto-san?"

  
He had expected Bokuto to give a verbal answer, not to suddenly take his shirt off. It's not like Akaashi hadn't seen naked patients, but it was Bokuto and he was --

_Jacked_. That was the only way he could describe him. Distinct muscles that exuded raw power, all under Akaashi's fingers. He bit the inside of his cheek as he sat behind Bokuto and started spreading the ointment, feeling around his back for knots and muttering some simple spells.

Suddenly, the air seemed to shift. Bokuto leaned into his touch, a subtle movement to give Akaashi access to his collarbone and shoulder, "Here, too." For a moment, Akaashi was glad he was facing away, because his face felt like it was burning, and it took all his willpower to not breathe with Bokuto's voice that low and soft, far from the Bokuto he was familiar with. Akaashi's fingers rolled over Bokuto's shoulders and arms, palms against the bare skin. This was too much, the situation was too intimate.

Bokuto leaned away from him, and Akaashi's hands retreated. Akaashi was about to suggest a different ointment, until he realized Bokuto was turning to face towards him, and Akaashi immediately felt like he was going to combust. Bokuto's warm eyes bore into his, as wide and curious as an owl's in the glow of the candlelight. For the first time, Akaashi felt overwhelmed, intrusive even. Bokuto shifted closer to Akaashi, lifting his head like an offering and keeping his gaze on him, but Akaashi couldn't meet Bokuto's eyes. Not like this. He focused on the his spells instead.

His hands pressed firmly against the knots in Bokuto's shoulderblades. Bokuto's eyes fluttered shut. Akaashi's hands traveled higher, massaging the points behind his ear. Bokuto dipped his head to Akaashi's level, and when he opened his eyes, Akaashi found himself locked in an unrelenting gaze.

Akaashi wants to lean in, wants to let his hands wander over the warm expanse of skin and muscle that is Bokuto, but he stops himself. It's only when Bokuto's hands reached up to rest on his wrists that Akaashi felt the intense need to run away.

"Akaashi," there's that tone again, and Akaashi feels like melting, "It doesn't hurt anymore." Akaashi blinked and began to move away, but Bokuto's grip on his wrists didn't loosen. "But I don't want you to stop."

Bokuto guided Akaashi's hands lower towards his bare chest, and Akaashi pulled away insistently, "But I have to, Bokuto-san." He stared for a while, and Akaashi stared back.

"Okay," Bokuto whispered, gaze as intense as it was earlier. Akaashi knew that Bokuto knew it wasn't that he didn't want this.

"Okay," Akaashi whispered back, matching his gaze. He handed Bokuto his shirt, doing his best not to sound flustered. "I used some vitality spells with the salve. It should last a week at most. Come back when it wears off."

Bokuto stood up, and nodded in thanks. His hand reached for the door when Akaashi called after him.

"It's late. Perhaps you'd like to stay the night?"

Bokuto turned, eyes wide, and Akaashi felt his face heat up.

"Never mind," Akaashi said quickly, taking one candle and hurrying to cap off the other flames, "Take care on the way back."

As he was about to put out the last candle on the table, he felt Bokuto's hands on his. Akaashi took a deep breath, and looked up to meet Bokuto's gaze.

"I'd like to stay the night, Akaashi." He said, reaching over to cap the last flame. Bokuto's gaze wandered over to the candle in Akaashi's hand.

Akaashi managed a smile, setting the candle down and snuffing it out with a snap of his finger.

In the darkness, with only the moonlight shining through a small window to the side, Akaashi felt himself being lifted onto the table, and he immediately reached out to clear the table top, almost laughing as the Apothecary's Compendium fell to the ground with a loud thud.

Well, it was just a spell book. Akaashi could just pick it up in the morning.

**Author's Note:**

> this was originally supposed to be a 1000-word fic for a zine application, but i got carried away and went past the word limit so i guess i'll just... have to make another fic. (sigh) but i enjoyed writing this!!
> 
> prompt was bkak + spell book, submitted by @ceruwrites on twitter!


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